Teagasc announced on Monday that it had appointed Dr Colreavy as director of the meat technology centre, an initiative to co-ordinate research and innovation in beef and sheepmeat processing with funding from Enterprise Ireland.

Meat Industry Ireland, the representative body for meat factories, started the programme which Teagasc is hosting at its Ashtown campus in Dublin.

Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), University College Cork (UCC) and the Irish Cattle Breeders Federation (ICBF) will take part in research activities. Meat processors ABP, Ashbourne Meat Processors, Dawn Meats, Dunbia, Hilton Foods, Irish Country Meats, Kepak Group, Liffey Meats and Slaney Foods International are backing the initiative.

John Colreavy has MSc and PhD qualifications from the University of Surrey and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. His career has focused on the commercialistation of research in the private sector, in the paints industry and more recently on the meat sector at Enterprise Ireland.

Teagasc’s director of research Frank O’Mara said the meat technology centre would focus on consistent meat quality and innovating for value in Irish meat processing.

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